The present invention relates to a recording device for an electronic still camera for recording video signals and time compressed audio signals on a memory disc such as a magnetic disc.
In an example of an electronic still camera of the same general type as that to which the present invention pertains, FM-modulated video signals and compressed audio signals are recorded on concentric tracks on a magnetic disc. Such a camera has a first mode in which audio signals and video signals are recorded in pairs, and a second mode in which audio signals and video signal are recorded independently of each other.
In the first mode, the tracks on the magnetic disc are divided into those in a video track region and those in an audio track region. The magnetic head records a video signal on a predetermined video track in the video track region and then moves to the audio track in the audio track region which corresponds to the video track. After recording an audio signal on the audio track, the magnetic head moves to the next video track.
Accordingly, in the case where video signals and time compressed audio signals are alternately recorded, the magnetic head is positioned on the track where a signal is to be recorded, and therefore the signal can be recorded immediately and the magnetic head moved efficiently.
However, in the case where, after a video signal is recorded, an audio signal is not recorded, and instead another signal is recorded, it is necessary to move the magnetic head to the following video track. That is, it is necessary that the operator operate a track number setting switch and depress the release button after confirming the track number on a track number display unit. As a result, the operation is considerably intricate. In addition, since the video track and the audio track are positioned away from each other, the amount of movement of the magnetic head is great, and thus it is difficult to start the signal recording or reproducing operation quickly. Also, since the magnetic head moves from a video track to an audio track and then to the next video track; that is, since the magnetic head is moved twice and stopped twice, due to the large amount of movement, the magnetic head driving device is operated inefficiently and liable to become out of order.